With the price of a college education rapidly rising over the last decade, and in the current difficult economic times, students and families are relying on financial aid more heavily now than ever before. In 2010-11, for example, undergraduate students received an average of $12,455 per full-time equivalent student in financial aid, according to the College Board.

But how to get a share of those funds? Time to get to know FAFSA — Free Application for Federal Student Aid — the gateway through which students and their families can access the millions of dollars in grants, federal loans and tax breaks for which they may be eligible.

Add These 10 Tasks to Your 2012 To Do List

What does 2012 have in store for you? Alongside the anniversaries, birthdays, vacations and
other big dates looming in the year ahead, here are 10 key dates that financial planning experts
suggest you circle on your calendar (or in your smartphone calendar app).

Even Everyday Folks Need a Financial Plan

A person’s goals and aspirations, the choices they make everyday about how to spend, save, invest and share their money to get them where they want to go, these constitute a financial plan, said Beck. The real question is whether the choices a person is making about their financial life are steering them toward achieving their goals and fulfilling their dreams, or leading them down a dead-end road.

One of the most thoughtful and rewarding gifts you can give this season comes not from the mall, an e-tailer, or any store for that matter, but rather directly from your bank account or investment portfolio.

A financial gift, shares of stock, for example, or a contribution to a college savings plan is one that is likely to keep on giving, its value continuing to appreciate long after other gifts have been forgotten, discarded, digested or neglected.

Responsible Revelry: Holiday Entertaining on a Sensible Budget

When the holiday spirit moves you to entertain, don't fight it, but don’t go overboard, either! Party costs can add up fast, leaving the host on the hook for a heaping helping of holiday debt. But don’t let that dampen your drive to party. With resourcefulness and some savvy social planning, it’s easy to host a truly memorable holiday event that won’t result in a pile of bills you’d just as soon forget.

10 Ideas for a New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping

Instead of a grand gesture, total abstinence from sweets, for example, or quitting a bad habit cold turkey at the stroke of midnight Jan. 1 try making a resolution that’s ambitious yet eminently attainable: a financial resolution.

The challenge many consumers face when holiday gift-giving season rolls around is making sure that in opening their hearts to show appreciation for the people they care about, they do not open their wallets beyond what is financially practical. The post-holiday bills that result from generous-to-a-fault holiday gift-buying habits can be harder to stomach than a stale holiday fruitcake.

All it takes to experience the joy of giving without the post-holiday debt hangover is a little advanced planning, creativity and control over your consumer impulses.

Eight Ways to Gain an Extra Tax Edge

The golden rule for minimizing your tax burden and avoiding unpleasant surprises from the IRS can be summed up with two words: PLAN AHEAD!

Setting aside some time now for end-of-year tax planning (in consultation with a tax specialist if necessary) can pay off in a big way on your 2011 tax returns, according to tax experts from the Financial Planning Association in Denver, Colo.

Debt, the Double-Edged Sword

The debt amount a person or entity owes to a creditor for funds borrowed is a four letter word capable of conjuring cold sweats in many Americans. Taking on certain kinds of debt may actually be a shrewd, financially sound move, according to experts at the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), the largest membership organization for personal financial planners in the U.S.